A new adventure in traveling light...!

[Apple]

I'm good with traveling light.  I've done five weeks in Europe, with frequent train travel between 9 countries, with one carry on bag and personal item each.  No big deal.

This time, I need to do that (one carry on bag and personal item) for just me, but here's the catch: Combined weight must be less than 17.5 pounds.

Uh...!

I'm ready to meet this challenge though!  I will give up my roller bag for my backpack (roller bag weighs 6 pounds, so it's too heavy for this trip).  I will layer up for the flight if I need to (not to an extreme level, but wear a shirt, sweater, and jacket, and maybe leggings under my pants, which is really nice for warmth anyway).  

I have a pair of shoes for a backup pair that are only 12 oz.  I will dehydrate my toothpaste and shampoo/conditioner in advance (I did the toothpaste last time since I couldn't find any travel size of the sensitive stuff).  I have ordered a vest that should be lightweight for a little extra warmth.  I will again to lots of sink laundry (last trip I did sink laundry and hit up a laundromat a few times).

If anyone has a big silk scarf they want to send me, I'd happily take it

I'm going to be scouring the thrift stores for fat lady cashmere sweaters.

I can do this.  

I may not buy any souvenirs, or I may want to buy a bunch of random packaged food souvenirs for my son (he will not be going on this trip).  I could check a bag for the trip home for $55, which would be cheaper than sending stuff home in the mail.  If I do go the checked bag home route, I could always buy more layers/stuff if I need them when I am in Sweden/Finland, so I'm not too worried.

[Blonde Granny]

I'm taking a 17 day trip to Ireland next September. I managed to do 15 days in a carry on once, but your goal is way more than mine was. be sure to report back, and take a picture of the items you are taking.....I need some additional ideas.

[alabamagal]

Skip the shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, you can buy those there and discard extra. And the adventure of trying to buy them will add to your experience (been there, done that). I got to be an expert at hand washing while in Europe, much easier than trying to figure out a foreign washing machine. And if you stay somewhere with a hair dryer, you can use that to dry clothes faster.

You can get by with 2-3 different “outfits” as no one will notice that you are wearing the same stuff

[chiver78]

Nov 26, 2018 19:10:07 GMT -5 Blonde Granny said:

I'm taking a 17 day trip to Ireland next September. I managed to do 15 days in a carry on once, but your goal is way more than mine was. be sure to report back, and take a picture of the items you are taking.....I need some additional ideas.

what's on your itinerary? I spent a fair amount of time working there about 15 years ago (oy) and would love to share some hidden gems from where I passed my time

[chiver78]

Nov 26, 2018 21:35:04 GMT -5 alabamagal said:

Skip the shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, you can buy those there and discard extra. And the adventure of trying to buy them will add to your experience (been there, done that). I got to be an expert at hand washing while in Europe, much easier than trying to figure out a foreign washing machine. And if you stay somewhere with a hair dryer, you can use that to dry clothes faster.

You can get by with 2-3 different “outfits” as no one will notice that you are wearing the same stuff

^that. pack a capsule wardrobe, with a big heavy sweater that can be reworn over multiple under layers. nobody will bat an eye. and yes to not packing toiletries. you can buy travel sizes in Europe as easily as you can here. 

dare I ask what airline you're flying this time? that's some serious restrictions. wow! 

[Blonde Granny]

Chiv, I'll have to look at the itenerary.  it's a tour with a company out of SW Missouri.  all I remember at this point is we are leaving from Kansas City with stop on east coast.

I did the capsule wardrobe during my 15/carry on. gray, black,red.....worked like a charm.

[Apple]

chiver78 This trip is with Finnair. I could "upgrade" to get a checked bag, choose my seats, etc, but then it wouldn't be that "rock bottom" price anymore. And, I can travel within the restrictions without feeling shelling out more is worth it. I may choose to send my bag through checked luggage on the way home, if I decide I want to purchase lots of souvenirs, and that would add $58 or so.

After my trip to Rome, I learned to always bring an extra pair of shoes. I've found a pair that will work that weigh 12 oz. Average weather for my dates tend to be 30s at night, mid 40s to low 50s during the day. I'm hoping that that will feel warm since I'll be coming out of winter, but not sure. I'm trying to find one of those down puffy coats that will pack small and light.

I found two super-light long sleeve shirts that will layer well. I have a pair of very thin pj pants. I'm hoping I can take a small camera (my phone camera is crap), but that may add too much weight. I want to bring headphones rather than earbuds (ear issues make earbuds too painful after a short time). I'd love to bring a ball of yarn and knitting needles to pass time (socks are nice small, light-weight projects).

I'll be there alone, and covered up, so am not packing anything shaving related. Last time I was in Europe, I did not find a "sensitive toothpaste" so need to bring my own. I can either fill a small container with my full-size stuff, or dehydrate it and cut it into little pieces (I did that last time and it worked well. Bonus was that it did not have to go in my quart size liquids bag).

I've started to weigh some of the things I have at home, and it looks promising. The socks with a little padding on the bottom are 1 oz each. A nice ls shirt is 7 oz. I can wear my jacket in line (and maybe put those head phones in the pocket, they fold up) and that won't get weighed.

I am not concerned about wearing five different outfits. I have to wear the same thing every day for work, so the same outfit every day would not bother me in the least, as long as it is clean!

[Apple]

Nov 26, 2018 21:35:04 GMT -5 alabamagal said:

Skip the shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, you can buy those there and discard extra. And the adventure of trying to buy them will add to your experience (been there, done that). I got to be an expert at hand washing while in Europe, much easier than trying to figure out a foreign washing machine. And if you stay somewhere with a hair dryer, you can use that to dry clothes faster.

You can get by with 2-3 different “outfits” as no one will notice that you are wearing the same stuff

I like the machines that have pictures!!

We actually met two families from "home" the last time I was in a laundromat (in Munich).  One was even from my home state a few hours away.

I love it when a room has a heated towel rack too.  Turn that on, and let it dry that way

I love shopping in small foreign stores.  We always blindly try all kinds of things, and then try to figure out what it is.

[Apple]

Nov 26, 2018 19:10:07 GMT -5 Blonde Granny said:

I'm taking a 17 day trip to Ireland next September. I managed to do 15 days in a carry on once, but your goal is way more than mine was. be sure to report back, and take a picture of the items you are taking.....I need some additional ideas.

I will do that.

I've been watching some videos by Sarah Murdoch.  She has some great tips.  She's also 6' 2", carries four pairs of shoes, and still comes in under 16 pounds!

She also has her own blog where she posts exactly what she travels with, etc.

[chapeau]

My sister just spent a week in France, no luggage but a backpack and her camera bag. She took this coat (and it’s on sale now).
www.landsend.com/shop/-/N-jz9

She was thrilled with how light and easy to pack it was, but she didn’t say anything about the zipper, good or bad.

[Blonde Granny]

Apple, thanks for the Sarah Murdoch hint. I'll take a look at those videos today. AFAIK, there is no weight limit for this trip and since it's a tour group I'm hoping we don't have to do much of our own heavy lifting, especially as I also need a cane. I do have a fold up one.....thank goodness it's not until next September. Even then, the days will likely be chilly and I'm thinking more like May in Alaska.

[thyme4change]

What soap do you use for sink washing? Just the bar of soap in the hotel, or do you find woolite or something?

We are going away for 2 weeks, and I told everyone to wear everything twice, and if I have to find laundry, I can do a load. But if we can do some handwashing, maybe that will be enough to stretch us.

[Blonde Granny]

Right or wrong, here is a link to a site telling what we should pack for a trip to Ireland

www.asherfergusson.com/must-have-ireland-packing-list-items/

[Apple]

Nov 27, 2018 7:16:18 GMT -5 chapeau said:

My sister just spent a week in France, no luggage but a backpack and her camera bag. She took this coat (and it’s on sale now).
www.landsend.com/shop/-/N-jz9

She was thrilled with how light and easy to pack it was, but she didn’t say anything about the zipper, good or bad.

The link sent me to "outerwear" instead of just a single jacket, but some of those look like they could work well.  I'll have to check out the return policy in case I ordered and it didn't fit...

[Apple]

Nov 27, 2018 9:59:44 GMT -5 Blonde Granny said:

Apple, thanks for the Sarah Murdoch hint. I'll take a look at those videos today. AFAIK, there is no weight limit for this trip and since it's a tour group I'm hoping we don't have to do much of our own heavy lifting, especially as I also need a cane. I do have a fold up one.....thank goodness it's not until next September. Even then, the days will likely be chilly and I'm thinking more like May in Alaska.

Usually the weight limit is more "reasonable"-- around 20 to 25 pounds for carry on, personal item is not weighed (so you can put your heaviest stuff in that), and the checked luggage around 50 pounds.  I'm really glad I bothered to notice the weight limit while making sure my current bag worked for the size limit!

[Apple]

Nov 27, 2018 10:34:34 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

What soap do you use for sink washing? Just the bar of soap in the hotel, or do you find woolite or something?

We are going away for 2 weeks, and I told everyone to wear everything twice, and if I have to find laundry, I can do a load. But if we can do some handwashing, maybe that will be enough to stretch us.

I have used shampoo and it worked fine.  What I prefer to do is bring a ziplock bag with a little dry laundry powder in it, or a small bottle (like hotel shampoo size) with my usual HE laundry detergent.  My washing machine came with a little box of Tide powder, and that has covered a few trips.  I just use it sparingly.  It gives it a more "laundry" smell.  I bring a large ziplock in case I want to soak something (without leaving it in the sink), or to make "agitating" it easy if the sink is really small.

[chapeau]

Nov 27, 2018 16:54:12 GMT -5 Apple said:

Nov 27, 2018 7:16:18 GMT -5 chapeau said:

My sister just spent a week in France, no luggage but a backpack and her camera bag. She took this coat (and it’s on sale now).
www.landsend.com/shop/-/N-jz9

She was thrilled with how light and easy to pack it was, but she didn’t say anything about the zipper, good or bad.

The link sent me to "outerwear" instead of just a single jacket, but some of those look like they could work well.  I'll have to check out the return policy in case I ordered and it didn't fit...

Rats. The product name actually has packable and lightweight in it. But I did notice a few reviews griping about the zipper.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

The total weight for my carry on bag for our safari was 22 lbs.  This was a 5 week trip, going from temps of 50-80+ deg.  It is easier done with summer clothes though.  My personal item was my backpack, and it contained my electronics and toiletries.  I think it was 16 lbs.

I took the same bag to France for a Dec. holiday.  I had a rotation of 3 cashmere sweaters, 2 pair of jeans (they may be heavier, but hide dirt easier) and wore a pair of athletic pants and a t shirt to sleep in.  I brought only the shoes I wore.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Nov 27, 2018 10:34:34 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

What soap do you use for sink washing? Just the bar of soap in the hotel, or do you find woolite or something?

We are going away for 2 weeks, and I told everyone to wear everything twice, and if I have to find laundry, I can do a load. But if we can do some handwashing, maybe that will be enough to stretch us.

Target has a wall of travel sized toiletries, and I have usually found single use Tide here.  They are disposable packets that hold a few tablespoons of laundry detergent.

I bought a couple for our time in France to wash socks and underwear (BTW, if there is a towel warmer in your room, it makes a phenomenal dryer).  I didn’t bother for Africa, as getting laundry sent out was cheap.

[Apple]

I won't ever do one pair of shoes again... I did that in Rome, in the spring, and ended up with incredibly soaked shoes, and no relief from them for two days. The day before, there had been shoes everywhere, $1 bins full at open tents, etc. The day they got soaked, nothing, and all stores were closed.

So, one extra pair is always packed now, I just pack something really light.

I'm encouraged though I have a pair of almost-jeans pants (Gloria Vanderbuilt) that are nice and lightweight and fit well (I can even pull them over a pair of my pj pants for warmth layering if needed). $7 at Goodwill, lol. They come in at 12 oz.

If I look at everything as 280 oz, instead of 17.5 lbs, it helps make it "seem" like more to play with, even though I know it's not.

If I can take two pairs of pants/jeans, that would be around 24 oz. A couple lightweight shirts 3 oz each, a couple sweaters, 7 oz each, shoes 12 oz, and socks/underwear at 8 oz, then including my bag, I'm still under half my allowed weight. I can do this!

Finding things that will work when you consider weight as much as (or more than) packing space is a definitely a different approach than I'm used to.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Nov 28, 2018 18:54:58 GMT -5 Apple said:

I won't ever do one pair of shoes again... I did that in Rome, in the spring, and ended up with incredibly soaked shoes, and no relief from them for two days. The day before, there had been shoes everywhere, $1 bins full at open tents, etc. The day they got soaked, nothing, and all stores were closed.

So, one extra pair is always packed now, I just pack something really light.

I'm encouraged though I have a pair of almost-jeans pants (Gloria Vanderbuilt) that are nice and lightweight and fit well (I can even pull them over a pair of my pj pants for warmth layering if needed). $7 at Goodwill, lol. They come in at 12 oz.

If I look at everything as 280 oz, instead of 17.5 lbs, it helps make it "seem" like more to play with, even though I know it's not.

If I can take two pairs of pants/jeans, that would be around 24 oz. A couple lightweight shirts 3 oz each, a couple sweaters, 7 oz each, shoes 12 oz, and socks/underwear at 8 oz, then including my bag, I'm still under half my allowed weight. I can do this!

Finding things that will work when you consider weight as much as (or more than) packing space is a definitely a different approach than I'm used to.

I took a pair of goretexed Merrill’s, and my feet never got wet.  I’m quite upset as Merrill doesn’t make this style anymore (Albany) and my last pair is on its last legs (I bought 3 pair).  I’m hoping I can get out trip to Lisbon next month out of them.

We are cruising, Lisbon to Miami with stops in the Azores and Bermuda.  5 days in Lisbon before we leave, then spending New Years with friends on Marco Island.  So I’m needing to pack just a little differently, for 2 seasons.  Also, I’m counting on needing dressier clothes on this trip, both for the cruise and socializing in FL.  So I’ll be taking the same goretexed Merrill’s, a pair of booties, a pair of canvas sneakers and sandals.  

TD’s gonna be pissed when I tell him he needs a jacket and dress shirt.  I’m not even going to touch him needing dress shoes or a tie!

[Apple]

I did an excel spreadsheet of the things I will need/want to pack. I weighed my bag, travel purse, small camera, and a few other things. I took some guesses on all the other items (will actually weigh them as I prepare them, or debate over them). Came to a total of 240 oz of things that I won't be wearing and can't stuff in my coat pockets (I'll stuff my phone, headphones, and a few other small items into my coat pockets, since that stuff won't be weighed).

Grand total of my guesstimate: 240 ounces! That is right at 15 pounds. That would give me 2 1/2 pounds for souvenirs before I have to check luggage or start dumping stuff. I'll get my usual magnets and bring home candies/snacks for the kid. That would probably be it unless I found something I just had to have.

So I hope I over-estimated on the weight of the things I didn't measure!

Also, 17 ounces I estimated are things I wouldn't care about if I tossed them (toiletries, including the toothbrush and comb).

So 3 1/2 pounds for souvenirs

I feel a lot better about this being easily doable.

[haapai]

Weigh it all again and consider the weather again.  I can't tell from what you have posted when you will be visiting Scandinavia.  If you're doing this in the winter, I suggest paying more attention to layers and footwear. 

[Apple]

Nov 28, 2018 22:58:25 GMT -5 haapai said:

Weigh it all again and consider the weather again.  I can't tell from what you have posted when you will be visiting Scandinavia.  If you're doing this in the winter, I suggest paying more attention to layers and footwear. 

Going in the spring.  I'll check out the forecast as it gets closer, but average looks to be mid-40s during the day (sometimes in the 50s), and 30s at night.  My layering in that would likely be long-sleeve shirt, to sweater, to down vest, to jacket/down jacket.

If we have a really cold winter here, and don't heat up fast, that weather will feel fairly warm.  However, if we have a warmer winter and spring heats up fast here, it's going to feel very cold.

I tend to walk around late into the night, so a warm jacket will be a must if the temps are truly in the 30s.

If the forecast is warmer, I'll replace the long sleeves with short sleeves, only bring two sweaters, and skip the vest.  I get cold very easily, especially if I sit for any length of time.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I’d the vest, add a fleece.  I found a fleece, along with cashmere was a good weight in that range.  Then a LS cotton shirt with fleece worked when it got warmer.  Probably wouldn’t bring SS shirts, you can always roll/push up sleeves.

[Apple]

Nov 29, 2018 13:34:28 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

I’d the vest, add a fleece.  I found a fleece, along with cashmere was a good weight in that range.  Then a LS cotton shirt with fleece worked when it got warmer.  Probably wouldn’t bring SS shirts, you can always roll/push up sleeves.

I'll keep an eye out for fleece that rolls up small...  I have some, but they are too heavy/bulky.

One year had an outlier temp in the 90s/100s!  That's probably the only situation where I'd switch to short sleeves.  I can wear long sleeves in a large range of weather.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I’d consider wearing a fleece as a shirt under your jacket.  A shirt is going to weigh less.

When we went to France, we were expecting temps high 20s to low 40s.  I rarely wore my down, and half the time I had my fleece tied around my waist as it was too warm.  The temps wound up being 50s to 60s in Dec.  I was glad I had my down few days though, as some nights it was cold and wet.  

[chapeau]

I swear I don’t work for Lands End, but their fitness fleece folds/rolls up small and stretches well.
Many years ago my family was in Chicago in May and it was cold. My dad, who uses the calendar to choose his clothing and not the temperature, was freezing. I had stuffed 2 fitness fleeces in my purse before we left the hotel because we were taking a river cruise and I get cold easily. He ended up wearing one all afternoon and evening. It was a little tight on him, but since he had 60 pounds and 6 inches on me, a little tight was fine.
Mine are older, though, so I’m not sure about cut or quality these days. The ones I’m thinking of have a short zipper that ends about bust level and a small zippered pocket on one arm. I like the neckline zipper if I’m wearing a neck pouch-makes it easier to access that stuff IMO.

[Blonde Granny]

Leaving Monday for New Orleans bus trip. Temps projected to be in mid 50s most of the time. Attempting to get by with 14x22 carry on, I'm concerned that sweaters will take up too much space. Any suggestions? color palette is going to be pink/grey/black. I have 1 jean jacket in denim, pink vest, gray sweaters. And thinking my Cuddl Duds long sleeve long john would be really good under turtle necks.

on edit: Or I can do just pink and black.

[Apple]

Dec 6, 2018 8:19:32 GMT -5 Blonde Granny said:

Leaving Monday for New Orleans bus trip. Temps projected to be in mid 50s most of the time. Attempting to get by with 14x22 carry on, I'm concerned that sweaters will take up too much space. Any suggestions? color palette is going to be pink/grey/black. I have 1 jean jacket in denim, pink vest, gray sweaters. And thinking my Cuddl Duds long sleeve long john would be really good under turtle necks.

on edit: Or I can do just pink and black.

How long is the trip?  

I've found that rolling my clothes usually allows me to pack them a little tighter.  When you have a sweater with a base layer, you can (usually) wear the sweater more than once, so you don't need as many sweaters as you'll have days of the trip.  

If you're trying to have room for souvenirs, and have any sweaters you've been wanting to donate (they fit, but you're just tired of them, or have to many, or whatever), you can wear them on the trip and leave them behind, making room in your bag (I've done this on a few trips-- my first big 2 week trip, and a later trip in Rome.  Nothing was wrong with the clothes, they just weren't really my style anymore).

Fleece was mentioned by someone else.  That usually packs smaller than sweaters, and would keep you nice and warm.